It is illegal to bribe a president. But it is totally legal to pre-bribe one.

Here’s how a pre-bribe works.

When a president leaves office, you offer the ex-president an enormous speaking fee. Let’s say $400,000. The ex-president does the speech and banks the money. The ex-president has no power at that point, so the speaking fee can’t be seen as a bribe because there is no quid pro quo.

But what about the president that is in office while this happens? Do you think the current president notices when the the prior president gets a $400,000 payday for an hour of work?

It would be hard to miss.

So let’s say the company that hired the ex-president asks for a meeting with the current president. Do you think the company gets that meeting? And do you think the current president bends over backwards to get them whatever they need?

He does if he wants a $400,000 payday after leaving office. That’s a pre-bribe.

Totally legal.

I agree with those who say President Trump hasn’t done enough draining of the swamp. But I do like having a president who could turn down a $400,000 payday without blinking. And that’s not nothing.

By the way, do you remember when Trump famously claimed he was worth $10 billion and his critics said it was closer to $3 billion? If Trump has a successful presidency (which I predict will happen), the Trump brand will be worth at least $10 billion at the end of his term. That would be no surprise to anyone who read the book that Trump’s childhood minister wrote.